Dinosaurs were probably not doomed for extinction and could exist today — if it weren’t for the giant asteroid

New research suggests dinosaurs were not in decline before the Chicxulub asteroid impact 66 million years ago, challenging previous assumptions that climate change was the cause of their extinction.
The study analyzed over 8,000 fossils from the 18 million years before the asteroid, focusing on four dinosaur groups including Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex, and found fossil record quality declined due to geological factors rather than actual population decrease.
Researchers attribute the apparent decline to fewer accessible fossil sites caused by tectonic activity and sea-level changes, indicating dinosaurs occupied a stable habitat area before extinction.
Findings imply that if the asteroid had not struck, dinosaurs might still exist today alongside mammals and birds.